Oh Johnny
by ChloeHollingsworth
Summary: Johnny is upset about something his father did.The gang is used to seeing Johnny shaken up, but this s different somehow...can Dally help him? Rated teen for the theme.
1. Chapter 1

Johnny walked into the Curtis home and headed for the kitchen. The gang, minus Dally, were all there.

"Hey Johnnycake!" said Soda excitedly.

Johnny muttered a barely audible hey back. Johnny was shaking hard and the others definitely noticed it. Feeling the gangs' eyes on him, Johnny attempted a smile, but it didn't fool anyone.

Steve, whose eyes hadn't left Johnny since the second he'd walked in, said "Hey, Johnny, what's wrong? If it's your old man I'll kill him for ya."

Then Soda and Two Bit joined in the conversation with remarks on how they'd take pleasure in hurting Johnny's bastard of a father, but Johnny was to shaken up to really hear them. Darry looked at Johnny's still shaking form and asked, yet again, if he was okay.

Johnny quickly snapped out of his thoughts and replied, quietly, "I-I'm okay. Just.. have you guys seen Dal?"

As if on cue, in walked Dallas Winston. "What's up kid?" Dally coolly asked.

"Hey, Dal. Um, can I, uh, talk to you?"

Dally took his attention off his lighter that he'd been tampering with the entire time and looked at Johnny. He looked pretty bad, but Dally was used to that. But something was off with the kid today…

"Sure Johnnycake."

Johnny looked hastily at the front door. "Can we go to the park?"

Dally stared at Johnny for a second in an attempt to read his eyes, but Johnny wouldn't make eye contact.

"Yeah. Let's go."

Dally followed Johnny out the door. The walk to the park was quiet and Dally starting to get irritated. "What's wrong Johnny?"

"Um, it-it's my dad."

Dally hated Johnny's dad for the hell he had put Johnny through. Hell, if Dally could only get his hands on him without hurting Johnny in the process, he'd…

Dally was broke from his thoughts when Johnny suddenly began sobbing. Dally put his arm around Johnny in an attempt to comfort him.

"Hey. Hey, kid you're alright. It's okay."

"N-n-no it's not! Dal he - he…" Johnny's entire body was now racking with sobs.

After a minute Dally said, "What did he do to you, Johnny?"

Though he wouldn't show it, Dally was starting to get real worried.

"If I tell you Dal you - you have to promise me you won't hate me."

Confused, Dally said "Johnny I could never hate you. What happened?"

"He was drunk again and he - he touched me."

Shall I continue? Let me know(:


	2. Chapter 2

"Wait, what do you mean 'touched you'?" Dally practically yelled. He regretted that immediately when he saw the fear on Johnny's face.

"Hey, kid, I didn't mean it like that. I just…Johnny you gotta tell me what happened."

"I - I was in my room and h-he came in and started yellin' and he hit me a couple of times and then he-he pushed me onto my and…I thought he'd just leave but he didn't!" Johnny was practically screaming now and Dallas found it unsettling, but made no move to stop him.

After a few moments of tension filled silence, Johnny continued, "He got onto my bed and I thought he was going to hit me again, but he climbed on top of me and h-he…" At this point Johnny was crying so hard, it took him a minute to continue.

When he did, he said "he touched me. You know what I mean, man!"

Dally hugged Johnny tight as he sobbed. After a few minutes, Johnny lifted his head from its position against Dally's chest when he heard Dally sigh heavily.

"Johnny, you don't have to go back there."

"No, Dal. The Curtis' have enough to deal with. They don't need this. It isn't their problem. Oh God, Dal, you can't tell them! You have to promise! Don't tell them please, Dal!"

Dally was a little surprised at Johnny's frantic pleads. "Okay, Johnny, I won't tell them."

Johnny quietly mumbled a 'thanks'.

"No problem, kid. But you can't go back there Johnny."

"It's not real cold out tonight, I'll stay in the lot."

"Johnny it's like 40 freakin' degrees out here, man! Are you crazy?"

"I can't keep stayin' at the Curtis house. I'm in the way there."

"Come stay with me at Bucks."

Johnny was surprised that Dallas had really made him that offer.

"Really, Dal?"

"Yeah, kid, I'm not letting you go back to that sick bastard."

Short and I am not pleased with this chapter. But if people want this continued, I will update soon with a longer and better chapter. Trust me, that's not the whole story about what happened between Johnny and his father and more details will be added if I continue this.


	3. Chapter 3

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Dally looked over at Johnny who had his eyes squeezed shut and his head in his hands. Dally touched Johnny's shoulder and the kid almost jumped out of his skin.

"Jesus, kid, relax!"

Johnny exhaled a heavy breath of relief. Dally was used to Johnny being jumpy, but it still put him on edge every time he saw the fear that shined in Johnny's eyes.

"Come one, Johnnycake. We can go grab some thing from your place, alright?"

Johnny was staring at his feet and when Dally thought he wasn't going to answer, Johnny mumbled an okay and held out his hand for Dally to help him up. After pulling Johnny to his feet, (which Dallas would admit he did a little too roughly, though he didn't do it intentionally, he simply forgot how small Johnny was) Dally put his arm around him shoulders and they headed to Johnny's home in a comfortable silence. When they arrived at his house, yells from his parents could easily be heard. Dally cast a sideways glance at Johnny who looked about ready to bolt. Dally felt bad for Johnny, he really did. No matter what his parents did, the kid always loved them. It made Dally sick to think that Johnny's parents could see home important they were to him and not even care.

"Well are you just gona stand there?"

Dally didn't mean for his word to come out like that and he immediately regretted them when he saw the look of terror on his face.

"Johnny…look, Johnnycake, I didn't mean it like that. Hey, Johnny, look at me."

After a moment's hesitation, Johnny looked up at Dally.

"Let's just go get your shit, okay?"

"Uh, Dal…I don't think I can go in there. Not - not yet."

Dallas was a little irritated, but he didn't want to let Johnny know that.

"Okay. I'll go in there and get it for you."

"Are you sure, Dallas? You don't have to-"

But Dally cut him off with "Well I'm sure as hell not staying out here all night!"

Dally felt bad for snapping at Johnny like that. He hated when he got angry with the kid. Instead of apologizing, though, he stormed into the house. As soon as he pushed through the screen door the strong smell of alcohol was almost enough to make him sick, which is saying a lot considering he lived at a place like Buck's. He saw Johnny's mother passed out on the floor slumped against the couch with a half empty bottle of whiskey in her left hand. His father was no where to be seen, which was probably a good thing because Dally wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself from killing the sick bastard. Or even sure if he'd want to stop himself. Dally went into Johnny's room and carelessly began throwing various items into a bag. He was about ready to leave when he noticed Johnny's jean jacket on the floor in the corner. The kid loved that jacket and was almost always wearing it but today had been rather warm. Dally stared at the pile of denim on the floor and thought about how Johnny carried that jacket around like a security blanket. When he was upset he always seemed to into it and pull it tighter around himself. Dallas picked up the jacket reasoning that it was a _little_ cold out now that the sun had gone down and Johnny shouldn't be without it. When he was about to walk out of Johnny's room he heard a heart wrenching scream that made him stop in his tracks.

It was Johnny.

**If people are still interested, I'll update later this week. Let me know if you have any ideas or things you'd like to see happen. I'm open to suggestions.**


	4. Chapter 4

Dally bolted out of the house just in time to see Johnny's dad swing at Johnny. The second his fist connected with Johnny's face, Johnny let out a blood curdling yelp. Dally ran to help Johnny, but stopped dead in his tracks when he realized Johnny's dad had a blade.

"Any closer hood and I'll slit the boy's throat right here and now!"

Dally wasn't sure if he was bluffing, but quickly decided it wasn't worth the risk and remained where he was standing. Johnny was terrified, that was obvious. He was shaking horribly but it was his wide eyes that got Dally's attention. Johnny's eyes always betrayed what he really felt and seeing that he was truly afraid for his life made Dally understand that Johnny's old man would seriously kill him. That shouldn't have been so hard to believe, considering he's beat Johnny within an inch of his life more times than Dally could count on two hands, but it still shocked Dallas to think that Johnny's father could really murder his own son in cold blood. Dally took a small step toward them, and the elder Cade immediately pushed the blade harder against Johnny's neck.

"You're going to stay right there or I'll kill him, I swear I will!"

Dally froze yet again, not wanting to upset Johnny's dad. He was trying to form a plan to get Johnny away from here safely, when he heard a small whimper. He turned to see Johnny's father was attempting to take off Johnny's shirt. Dally could not just stand there and watch this happen, not to Johnny! He ran forward and tackled Johnny's father to the ground, knocking Johnny down in the process. Dally sprang up quickly and grabbed at Johnny's jacket.

"Come on, kid, we got to go!"

Johnny was struggling to his feet and Dally was wondering if he'd have to carry the boy, however Johnny managed to get his footing. The elder Cade was starting to get up as well, cursing all the while.

"You little bastard! You're just a dirty little whore like your mother!"

Johnny froze when his father yelled that. Dallas noticed that Johnny had stopped moving. He pulled roughly on his jean jacket, almost making Johnny lose his balance.

"Come on!" Johnny ran after Dallas then and didn't turn back as his father continued screaming obscenities after them.

A few minutes later they arrived at Buck's. The music was blaring as Dallas began dragging Johnny through the crowd and up the stairs. When they got to Dally's room he entered and carelessly began riffling through his drawers. He pulled out a shirt and tossed it to Johnny who was sitting on the edge of his bed. He figured Johnny would want another shirt, his had gotten ripped when Dallas had knocked him to the ground.

"Here, it'll be big on you, but I don't have anything that damn small." Dally knew being harsh with Johnny wasn't what he needed right now, but he couldn't help himself. He was too worked up after the run in with Johnny's father.

"Well, are you gonna change?" Dally really didn't mean for that to come out meanly, but it had anyway. Johnny looked at Dally with wide eyes that expressed the hurt he felt when Dally snapped him, but he quickly looked away and all but sprinted to the bathroom to change. Dally sat down on the edge of his bed and waited for Johnny to come out of the bathroom. After what seemed like an eternity but was really only about five minutes and Johnny had yet to emerge from the bathroom, Dally began to get worried. He went to the bathroom door and knocked on it. There was no response.

"Johnny…Johnnycake are you okay?"

There was still no response. Dally opened the door, and was shocked to see Johnny laying motionless on the floor.

"Johnny!" He was at Johnny's side in a second, lifting his head onto his lap and gently tapping his face in an attempt to wake him. _Oh God, Johnny wake up, _Dally thought. After a couple of minutes, Johnny regained consciousness. His eyes opened slowly and it took a minute for them to focus on Dallas.

"Dal…"

"It's okay, Johnnycake. I'm right here."

"What…what happened"

Dallas half laughed, "Geez, kid, I was kinda hoping you'd tell me."

Johnny smiled a little, but that smile quickly turned to a frown as soon as the days events came flooding back into his memory. Dally noticed the tears in Johnny's eyes and his heart broke a little when the kid moved to wipe them away.

"Hey, Johnny, man, it's gonna be okay." Even Dallas would admit that he didn't fully believe that statement. Things were looking rather bleak and Dallas didn't know how or if he could help Johnny through this. He knew Johnny needed basic things, like food and a place to sleep. How was he going to pay for this? He didn't have a job. The only money he ever had he either stole, won in a bet, or won playing poker. But more than that, Johnny needed someone. He needed someone who would always be there for him. Dallas didn't know if he could be the person Johnny needed. He loved Johnny to death, that he was sure of though. So, he would do whatever necessary without a second thought.

"Johnnycake, get up. You need to get some sleep." Dally looked down and realized Johnny was already asleep in his lap. Debating what to do next, Dally decided it was a bad idea to sleep on the bathroom floor. He gently moved Johnny off him and onto the floor. After he stood up he reached down and grabbed Johnny, one arm under his legs and the other behind his back. The kid was lighter than Dallas had expected. He knew Johnny was small, but he felt practically infantile in Dally's arms. He made his way to his bed and slowly set Johnny down. He covered him with a tattered, old blanket. He was amazed that Johnny had slept through being moved. Usually the kid woke up at the drop of a pin. Knowing that Johnny was safe for the night, he headed back downstairs to join the party. He wasn't in the mood for poker or anything, but he needed something to get his mind off what happened to Johnny.

After a few to many drinks, Dally found his thoughts returning to Johnny's father. He was outraged at what the bastard had done to his own son. Before he realized what was going on, he was standing in Johnny's front yard, the elder Cade bleeding and unconscious at his feet.

**Ugh, this chapter is terrible. I'm sorry about that. Is anyone still reading this even? Let me know your thoughts.**


	5. Chapter 5

_Shit. _

That was the only thought running through Dallas' mind. He saw Johnny's dad bleeding and unconscious at his feet, but he didn't know what had happened. Everything was a blur. He watched for the rise and fall of the elder Cade's chest, but there was none. _What did I do? What's Johnny gonna think? Johnny…_ With that thought Dally took off running for Buck's. When he got there he pushed through the crowd of drunken people and hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time. He shoved open his door to see Johnny still asleep on his bed. He shrugged out of his jacket and sat down on the edge of his bed, putting his face in his hands.

"Dal?" Johnny had awoken when he felt the mattress dip under Dally's weight.

"Yeah, kid, it's me," Dally replied, not lifting his head. Johnny sat up and Dallas could feel Johnny's eyes on him.

"What's goin' on, Dally?" Johnny questioned, pulling himself into a sitting position and immediately wincing at the pain that seemed to pulsate through his body from the movement. Dally had seen the look of hurt that crossed Johnny's face.

"You okay, Johnnycake?"

"I'm fine. What's going on, Dallas?" Johnny asked again. Dallas shook his head and covered his face with his hands once again.

"I did something real bad, Johnny." Johnny could hardly understand him. His hands were muffling his voice and his language was a little slurred from alcohol.

"What'd ya do, Dal?" Dallas laughed without humor, but didn't reply. "Are ya…are ya gonna get thrown back in the cooler?" Johnny asked, sounding afraid to hear the answer. Dallas still said nothing. "Come on, Dallas! Just tell me!"

"I killed your father!" Dally snapped. Johnny was taken aback.

"You…you what?"

"I killed him."

"Come on. This…this isn't funny, Dal."

"I'm not trying to be fucking funny! I killed him!"

"W-why?" was all Johnny could manage as a response.

"Why? WHY! Because he fuckin' raped you, that's why! That sick bastard deserved it! Don't act like you don't why I did it!" Johnny had gone pale. Dallas stared at him, seeing the terror that was clear on his face. He got up and started pacing the room.

"Dallas, I-"

"Why the fuck did you have to tell me about any of this? It's none of my fucking business. It's not my goddamn problem what your ol' man does to you! What the fuck do you expect me to do about it, huh?"

Dallas stopped pacing and looked back at Johnny. There were tears streaming down his face. Dally could tell he was trying his hardest not to break down sobbing. He had good reason to, Dallas had been mean enough. He had never yelled at Johnny like that. The kid didn't deserve it, especially not after what he'd been through. "Johnny-" Johnny got to his feet and bolted out the door, Dallas yelling after him. It was no use, though. Johnny was gone.

_**I am so sorry for the long wait! I hope some of you out there are still reading this and haven't given up on me! As long as someone out there is still enjoying this, it shall be continued! **_

_**Anyway, boring chapter, I know. I am horrifyingly bad at writing Johnny. And Dallas for that matter. Hope their OOCness isn't too bad! **_

_**Let me know your thoughts(:**_


	6. Chapter 6

Johnny didn't know how long he had been running. Hell, Johnny didn't even know _where_ he was running. He had taken off after Dallas had yelled at him back at Buck's. He knew he couldn't stay there after the things Dally had said. Johnny shook his head, he didn't want to think about what Dally had said to him.

Johnny stopped running, he couldn't feel his legs under him and his lungs were on fire. _I've really gotta quit smokin' _Johnny thought idly. He took in his surroundings and realized he knew exactly where he'd run to.

The Curtis house.

All of the lights in the house were out, but that wasn't really a surprise considering it was pretty late out. _What time is it?_ Johnny figured it was probably around one or two in the morning, though he couldn't be sure.

After a few minutes of just standing there and staring blankly at the Curtis brother's home, his legs finally weren't able to support him any longer and they gave out underneath him. He crumpled to the ground right outside the fence that led up to the home.

OUTSIDEROUTSIDERSOUTSIDERS

It was nearing 1:30 in the morning as Steve and Soda made their way to the Curtis' house. They had gone out to a movie with a couple of girls from school who were from the nicer side of town. Soda had promised Darry he wouldn't be in too late because he had to work the next day.

"Ya know if Darry would stop treating you like a kid, tonight coulda gone real good," Steve said for what seemed like the millionth time, though in reality was probably only the third time. Soda said nothing, mainly because he hadn't really been listening to Steve in the first place.

Steve was still ranting about something or another when they pulled up in front of the Curtis' home. Soda interrupted Steve mid sentence with, "You know, tonight wouldn'ta gone nowhere anyways. Those soc girls ain't like us greasers anyway. They were probably just usin' us to make their boyfriends mad or somethin'."

Steve sighed at Soda's comment, but didn't argue. Soda unfastened his seat belt, but turned to Steve again before opening the car door.

"Ya know, if it wasn't because you're a greaser, it was that big nose of yours," he quipped playfully. A grin spread passed over Steve's face and almost matched Soda's megawatt smile. Steve hit Soda's arm in a joking manner while yelling at him to get out of his car.

Soda went to reach for the door handle in order to make a quick escape from the car as Steve repeatedly swatted the back of his head with a baseball cap. Soda's hand paused on the handle as he looked out the window and noticed someone was in his yard.

"There's someone in the yard," Soda informed Steve, never taking his eyes off of Johnny. Steve leaned over to look out the passenger window to where Soda was staring.

"Is that Johnny?" Steve asked, sounding rather confused.

"Yeah," Soda replied, sounding equally as confused.

"What the hell is the kid doing out here? Doesn't he know what time it is?"

Soda didn't bother to answer Steve's questions. "Hey Steve, I'll see ya tomorrow," he said over his shoulder as he reached for the door handle once again. He got out of the car and walked cautiously toward Johnny, the way someone might approach a spooked horse. He stopped about a foot away from Johnny, who didn't look up or even seem to register Soda's presence.

Soda heard the crunch of a leaf behind him and turned around to see Steve had followed him out of the car. Turning his attention back to Johnny, who was still staring intently at the front door of the Curtis' home in front of him, he crouched down next to him.

"Johnny?"

Johnny nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sound of the voice. His head turned around toward Soda and Steve so quickly that Soda was worried the kid would give himself whiplash. Johnny stared blankly at the two older boys for a minute, though his eyes were unfocused, the fear was evident in his large, brown eyes. His eyes slowly focused on Soda's face, that was not very far from his own.

"Johnnycake, are ya okay?"

Johnny continued staring up at Soda who's facial expression was one of concern. Realizing that he had been asked a question and therefore was expected to provide an answer, he hurriedly replied.

"I - I'm fine."

Soda laughed a little at this and a small smile appeared on his face once again. "Yeah? That why you're sittin' out here?"

Johnny wasn't sure how he should respond to that, so he said the first thing that came to his mind without thinking it through. "I don't know how I got here."

The smile that had been plastered on Soda's face faded quickly.

"What are ya drunk or somethin', kid?" Steve questioned, sounding slightly irritated. He knew he himself had gotten drunk his fair share of times, so he had no real reason for getting mad at Johnny for it, but Johnny was the gang's pet and something about him drinking was infuriating to Steve.

"N- no," Johnny mumbled. "I ran here." Seeing the confused looks on both Soda and Steve's faces, he quickly added, "from Buck's." This, however, didn't seem to help. In fact, it did pretty much the opposite.

"Why were you at Buck's?" Soda asked.

"I was with Dal."

"Where is Dallas, then?" Steve questioned skeptically.

"At Buck's. I ran here."

"Why would you do somethin' stupid like that, Johnny?" The irritation was clear in Steve's voice again.

Still not thinking about what he was saying, Johnny replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "he was yellin' at me and I left, came here."

"Why was Dally yellin' at ya?" Soda asked worriedly.

"My ol' man."

Soda and Steve shared a concerned glance at the mention of Johnny's father. The both of them were all too familiar with that situation. Soda stood up and reached a hand out to Johnny to help him up, which Johnny took hesitantly.

Soda slung and arm around Johnny's shoulder as he opened the gate. "Let's get inside, Johnnycake."

_**Sorry for the long update waits!**_

_**Let me know your thoughts(:**_


	7. Chapter 7

Good news! Starting December first, I will be posting a new chapter for all of my stories for the 25 days of Christmas. That's right - that's 25 new chapters. Just my way of saying thank you to all of my wonderful readers and reviewers!


	8. Chapter 8

**I am SO sorry guys! Please don't hate me! Stupid computer got a virus and I've had no way to update my stories. I am visiting a friend right now…a friend that has internet! So, I decided to post this chapter while I could and will try to update my other stories. Anyway, as soon as I get my own computer back up and running, you will still be seeing the other chapters I promised you, and perhaps a little treat for having to wait(;**

Soda, with one arm still slung around Johnny's narrow shoulders, reached out with his other hand and tentatively grasped the door knob. He opened the unlocked front door as quietly as he could, which was not easy considering the old door's tendency to creak, trying not to disrupt either of his sleeping brothers. After the door had been opened, Johnny simply stood there, making no move to enter the Curtis home. Soda glanced down at Johnny, trying to read his facial expressions. To Soda's dismay, Johnny's face betrayed no emotion. The look in his big brown eyes was distant, like he wasn't even there. Something was definitely wrong.

_Really wrong. _

_Soda looked back at Steve, silently pleading with him to take control of the situation, for Soda was at a loss. This was unusual, considering Soda was always the one who handled emotion and sensitive subjects the best. Steve was a bit more - well, a bit more of a jackass, for lack of a better word. It isn't that Steve didn't care about Johnny as much as Soda did, that wasn't it at all. Johnny was the pet, everybody in the gang loved Johnny, saw him as their little brother. Hell, even Ponyboy often acted like Johnny was his little brother, though he was a couple of years younger. No, Steve loved Johnny every bit as much as the rest of them did…well, maybe not more than Dallas. Soda was just better at comforting people. He always seemed to know exactly what everyone needed and he always knew the right thing to say. But this time it was Steve's turn to take the lead because he would understand better what Johnny was going through if it had to do with his father. God knows Steve never had the best relationship with his dad…_

_Soda let go of Johnny's shoulder and walked inside, watching as Steve stepped up and took his place next to the motionless Johnny. _

"_Hey kid, ain't ya gonna go inside?"_

_Johnny turned his head toward Steve, his eyes slowly focusing on Steve's face. It was like he had just been woken up from a dream. "Steve?"_

"_Yeah, kid. It's me. Let's get inside 'fore ya freeze."_

_Steve put a hand on Johnny's back, gently pushing him inside, but it was forceful enough to ensure the kid wouldn't bolt. _

_Steve shut the door, a little too loudly for Soda's liking, behind them. _

"_Why don't ya sit down on the couch, Johnnycake? You look you're about to pass out cold," Soda said casually, with a hint of humor in his voice in an attempt to lighten the mood. He quietly excused himself and walked into the kitchen, leaving Steve to talk with Johnny alone. _

_Johnny eyed the couch wearily, not making a move to go sit down._

"_The couch ain't gonna eat ya, kid," Steve said sarcastically._

_Johnny glanced quickly at Steve before making his way to the old, worn out couch. _

"_So, what's goin' on with your ol' man, Johnnycake?" Steve had decided to just jump right into it. He was never really one for beating around the bush._

_Johnny didn't answer right away, but when he did his gaze shifted from Steve to the wall about 5 feet away from Steve. "Nothin' much. Ya know, same ol' stuff, I guess."_

"_Yeah? How come you ended up at Buck's with Dallas, then?" Steve knew Johnny only stayed at Buck's with Dallas if things were bad at home, not that they weren't always, but it was only in extreme cases. It wasn't like that because Dallas didn't care about Johnny or anything, though. In fact, the opposite was basically true. Dallas just hated bringing Johnny around a dump like Bump's, always said it was no place for a kid. _

"_I - I…" Johnny's voice trailed off, his eyes still glued to the raggedy carpet beneath his shoes. _

"_What'd he do to ya, Johnny?"_

_Johnny looked back up at Steve, making eye contact for the first time all night. He took a long, deep breath, before starting to speak. "Um, he had been drinkin', ya know? Like usual. He was pretty ticked off at something' or another. My mom was passed out in the livin' room. I figure she'd been drinkin' too." Johnny paused for a second before continuing, his next words full of hatred. "Like usual. Anyways, my ol' man came into my room and started yellin' at me." Johnny stopped talking and Steve waited for a minute or two. When it became evident Johnny was not going to continue without a little persuading, Steve spoke up._

"_He beat ya again?"_

"_Yeah. It wasn't too bad, though. Only a coupla hits."_

_Steve nodded. Johnny really didn't look too bad…but something still seemed off with him. _

"_You sure ya okay, kid? You ain't hurt too bad?"_

"_Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure."_

"_You should probably get some rest, then. You look tired as hell," Steve said while standing up. Steve ruffled Johnny's hair, saying, "Goodnight, kid," and then heading toward the kitchen to go talk to Soda. _

"_Steve?"_

_Steve stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"_

"_Can - can I tell you something'?"_

"_Ya know ya can, Johnnycake."_

"_My ol' man - he did more-" Johnny broke off his sentence when the front door slammed open abruptly, hitting the wall with a loud thud, to reveal the one and only Dallas Winston. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Two chapters today! I am on a roll(: Enjoy.**

Dally stumbled in through the door, banging it shut behind him loudly. Steve was staring at Dally, with an annoyed expression easily readable on his face. Steve was used to seeing Dallas drunk, hell he was no stranger to getting drunk himself, but tonight it was different. Tonight seeing him drunk was a little infuriating. Okay, well more than a little…it was pissing Steve off. Steve and Dallas were friends, good friends, but at times Dallas could drive him crazy. Like tonight, for example, when Johnny was very obviously hurt and upset over God knows what and Dallas had decided to get drunk instead of help him. Steve realized he might be being a little harsh on Dallas, but he couldn't seem to help it. Dallas knew something was wrong with Johnny, how could he still just drink and do absolutely _nothing_?

At the sound of the front door slamming shut, Soda rushed back in to the living room from the kitchen. "Geez, Dal, did ya have to slam the door? Ponyboy's sleepin'," Soda said in an accusing whisper as he walked over to the room he and Ponyboy shared. He opened the door quietly and peered inside, hoping his little brother was still asleep.

"Sorry, Sodapop. Wouldn' wanna disturb your darling little brother's beauty sleep, now would we?" Dallas slurred sarcastically. Boy, he could be a real jerk when he'd been drinking.. Soda didn't respond, he hated dealing with Dallas when he was like this. Satisfied that Ponyboy had not been awaken, he shut the bedroom door gently and headed further into the living room, plopping down heavily onto the couch next to Johnny. Johnny's gaze had not left Dallas since the second he burst in the door and Dally had definitely taken notice of this.

"What the hell are ya staring at, kid?" Dally spat at Johnny rudely.

Johnny immediately tore his eyes away from Dallas, fixing his gaze once again on the dirty carpet.

"Did ya have to yell at him, Dal?" Soda asked, sounding a bit exasperated. He put his arm around and Johnny's shoulders, noticing how Johnny flinched at the contact and had to force himself not to pull away.

"Right," Dally drawled slowly. "I forgot the kid was sensitive." It was clear from his tone that he was mocking Johnny.

"Dal, you're being a jerk," Soda said which was extremely out of character for him. Soda has always been one to stand up for his friends, especially the little ones like Johnny and Ponyboy, but he never really called out another member of the gang for giving them a hard time. He would occasionally tell Steve to back off when his constant teasing of Ponyboy started to get a little excessive, but other than that he basically kept his mouth shut. It was all just fun and games most of the time, nothing to get upset about. Tonight, however, Soda could tell that Johnny was not up for being the butt of anybody's joke.

"Oh, I'm being a jerk? _I'm being a jerk? What about his father, huh?" Dallas was practically yelling now, much to Soda's dismay. Soda noticed how every muscle in Johnny's small body seemed to tense at the mention of his father. Soda squeezed Johnny's shoulder lightly in an attempt to comfort him and calm him._

_Steve was getting tired of this._

"_Dal, leave the kid alone," the tone of Steve's voice was serious, so serious that Johnny turned his full attention to him rather than the floor. _

"_Or what, Stevie? Not like Johnny's gonna do a damn thing about it. The kid never stand up for himself. He just let's anyone and everyone do whatever the hell they want to him and he -" Dally's words were cut off as Steve crossed the space between them and decked him in the face._


End file.
